Removing aerial camera drones from a primary camera&#39;s field of view

ABSTRACT

A camera has a sensor, a signal generator, and a transmitter. The sensor detects a mobile airborne device within a field of view of a primary camera, where a three-dimensional physical space is within the field of view of the primary camera. The signal generator generates a signal that, when received by the mobile airborne device, causes the mobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space. The transmitter transmits the signal to the mobile airborne device to cause the mobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space that is within the field of view of the primary camera.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to the field of capturing photographicand video images, and specifically to the use of cameras that capturephotographic and video images. Still more specifically, the presentdisclosure relates to the field of removing flying camera drones from afield of view of a primary camera.

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), commonly referred to as drones or“camera drones” or “aerial camera drones”, are increasingly being usedfor photographic purposes. A drone offers a unique photographicperspective by utilizing altitude and angle that are not possible from aphotograph/video taken with a traditional camera on the ground.Frequently, a photographer/videographer may choose to employ both atraditional land-based camera with one or more drones to capturemultiple perspectives of a given view.

The use of one or more drones and regular cameras taking photographsduring a photo shoot presents opportunities for one of the drones tocreate obstacles in the photograph, either from the land-based camerasor from cameras of other drones.

For example, consider a movie that is being shot with a combination ofterrestrial cameras (either fixed on a tripod or movable along a track)and aerial camera drones. One of the terrestrial cameras may bedesignated as the primary camera for capturing the main shot, while theaerial camera drones may be filming ancillary shots, often known as“B-roll”, for the scene. The presence of a drone in the main shot ruinsthe authenticity of the main shot, particularly if the movie is a periodpiece (e.g., a “Western” from the 1800's).

SUMMARY

In an embodiment of the present invention, a camera includes a sensor, asignal generator, and a transmitter. The sensor detects a mobileairborne device within a field of view of a primary camera, where athree-dimensional physical space is within the field of view of theprimary camera. The signal generator generates a signal that, whenreceived by the mobile airborne device, causes the mobile airbornedevice to exit the three-dimensional physical space. The transmittertransmits the signal to the mobile airborne device to cause the mobileairborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space that iswithin the field of view of the primary camera. This provides a new anduseful improvement over the prior art by automatically removingundesired mobile airborne devices (such as flying camera drones) out ofthe field of view of the camera.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the signal is a packet ofinstructions directing the mobile airborne device to exit thethree-dimensional physical space that is within the field of view of theprimary camera. This provides the benefit of the camera being able todirectly control the movement of the mobile airborne device.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the signal is a data-lesssignal, where the mobile airborne device exits the three-dimensionalphysical space in response to detecting the data-less signal. Thisprovides the benefit of the mobile airborne device autonomously removingitself from the field of view of the camera.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a mobile airborne device(e.g., an aerial camera drone) has a propulsion device, a navigationdevice, and a signal receiver. The propulsion device (e.g., a motor andpropeller) flies the mobile airborne device. The navigation deviceidentifies and controls a current physical location of the mobileairborne device within a three-dimensional physical space. The signalreceiver receives a signal from a primary camera, where the signal fromthe primary camera is generated by the primary camera in response to theprimary camera detecting the mobile airborne device within thethree-dimensional physical space that is within a field of view of theprimary camera. The signal causes the navigation device to direct thepropulsion device to fly the mobile airborne device out of thethree-dimensional physical space that is within the field of view of theprimary camera. This provides a new and useful improvement over theprior art by automatically removing undesired mobile airborne devices(such as flying camera drones) out of the field of view of the camera.

In an embodiment of the present invention, a method removes a mobileairborne device from a field of view of a primary camera. A sensorassociated with a primary camera detects a mobile airborne device withina field of view of the primary camera, where a three-dimensionalphysical space is within the field of view of the primary camera. Asignal generator generates a signal that, when received by the mobileairborne device, causes the mobile airborne device to exit thethree-dimensional physical space. A transmitter transmits the signal tothe mobile airborne device to cause the mobile airborne device to exitthe three-dimensional physical space that is within the field of view ofthe primary camera.

In an embodiment of the present invention, one or more processorsdetect, based on signals from an orientation sensor within the primarycamera, that the field of view of the primary camera has changed to anew field of view due to movement of the primary camera, such that a newthree-dimensional physical space is now within the new field of view. Inresponse to detecting that the field of view of the primary camera haschanged, the signal generator generates a new signal that, when receivedby the mobile airborne device, causes the mobile airborne device to exitthe new three-dimensional physical space. The transmitter then transmitsthe new signal to the mobile airborne device to cause the mobileairborne device to exit the new three-dimensional physical space that iswithin the new field of view of the primary camera. This provides a newand useful improvement over the prior art in which one or more videodrones are dynamically controlled according to how the position of aprimary camera changes, thus enabling a better shot for the primarycamera.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary system and network in which the presentdisclosure may be implemented;

FIGS. 2A-2B illustrate an aerial camera drone that is unwanted within afield of view of a primary camera;

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of the present invention in which an aerialcamera drone is too far from the primary camera to matter to the shot;

FIG. 4 is a high-level flow chart of one or more steps performed by oneor more devices to remove one or more aerial camera drones from a fieldof view of a primary camera;

FIG. 5 depicts a cloud computing node according to an embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 6 depicts a cloud computing environment according to an embodimentof the present disclosure; and

FIG. 7 depicts abstraction model layers according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like,and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

With reference now to the figures, and in particular to FIG. 1, there isdepicted a block diagram of an exemplary system and network that may beutilized by and/or in the implementation of the present invention. Notethat some or all of the exemplary architecture, including both depictedhardware and software, shown for and within computer 101 may be utilizedby software deploying server 149, primary camera 151, and/or aerialcamera drone(s) 153 shown in FIG. 1; primary camera 251 and/or cameradrone 253 shown in FIGS. 2A-2B and FIG. 3; and controller 201 shown inFIGS. 2A-2B.

Exemplary computer 101 includes a processor 103 that is coupled to asystem bus 105. Processor 103 may utilize one or more processors, eachof which has one or more processor cores. A video adapter card 107,which drives/supports a display 109, is also coupled to system bus 105.In one or more embodiments of the present invention, video adapter card107 is a hardware video card. System bus 105 is coupled via a bus bridge111 to an input/output (I/O) bus 113. An I/O interface 115 is coupled toI/O bus 113. I/O interface 115 affords communication with various I/Odevices, including a keyboard 117, a mouse 119, a media tray 121 (whichmay include storage devices such as CD-ROM drives, multi-mediainterfaces, etc.), and external USB port(s) 125. While the format of theports connected to I/O interface 115 may be any known to those skilledin the art of computer architecture, in one embodiment some or all ofthese ports are universal serial bus (USB) ports.

As depicted, computer 101 is able to communicate with a softwaredeploying server 149, primary camera 151, and/or aerial camera drone(s)153 using a network interface 129. Network interface 129 is a hardwarenetwork interface, such as a network interface card (NIC), etc. Network127 may be an external network such as the Internet, or an internalnetwork such as an Ethernet or a virtual private network (VPN).Furthermore, network 127 may be a wireless network, such as a Near FieldCommunication (NFC) network, a Wi-Fi network, a Radio Frequency (RF)network, etc.

A hard drive interface 131 is also coupled to system bus 105. Hard driveinterface 131 interfaces with a hard drive 133. In one embodiment, harddrive 133 populates a system memory 135, which is also coupled to systembus 105. System memory is defined as a lowest level of volatile memoryin computer 101. This volatile memory includes additional higher levelsof volatile memory (not shown), including, but not limited to, cachememory, registers and buffers. Data that populates system memory 135includes computer 101's operating system (OS) 137 and applicationprograms 143.

OS 137 includes a shell 139, for providing transparent user access toresources such as application programs 143. Generally, shell 139 is aprogram that provides an interpreter and an interface between the userand the operating system. More specifically, shell 139 executes commandsthat are entered into a command line user interface or from a file.Thus, shell 139, also called a command processor, is generally thehighest level of the operating system software hierarchy and serves as acommand interpreter. The shell provides a system prompt, interpretscommands entered by keyboard, mouse, or other user input media, andsends the interpreted command(s) to the appropriate lower levels of theoperating system (e.g., a kernel 141) for processing. Note that whileshell 139 is a text-based, line-oriented user interface, the presentinvention will equally well support other user interface modes, such asgraphical, voice, gestural, etc.

As depicted, OS 137 also includes kernel 141, which includes lowerlevels of functionality for OS 137, including providing essentialservices required by other parts of OS 137 and application programs 143,including memory management, process and task management, diskmanagement, and mouse and keyboard management.

Application programs 143 include a renderer, shown in exemplary manneras a browser 145. Browser 145 includes program modules and instructionsenabling a world wide web (WWW) client (i.e., computer 101) to send andreceive network messages to the Internet using hypertext transferprotocol (HTTP) messaging, thus enabling communication with softwaredeploying server 149 and other computer systems.

Application programs 143 in computer 101's system memory (as well assoftware deploying server 149's system memory) also include a cameradrone positioning logic (CDPL) 147. CDPL 147 includes code forimplementing the processes described below, including those described inFIGS. 2-4. In one embodiment, computer 101 is able to download CDPL 147from software deploying server 149, including in an on-demand basis,wherein the code in CDPL 147 is not downloaded until needed forexecution. Note further that, in one embodiment of the presentinvention, software deploying server 149 performs all of the functionsassociated with the present invention (including execution of CDPL 147),thus freeing computer 101 from having to use its own internal computingresources to execute CDPL 147.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, computer 101includes a geographic locator, such as a global positioning system (GPS)device 153 that utilizes signals from GPS satellites to determine thecurrent geophysical/geographic position of the computer 101.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, computer 101includes a transceiver 123, which is able to transmit and receiveelectronic signals, including widely dispersed (non-directional) signalssuch as Radio Frequency (RF) signals, as well as line-of-sight(directional) signals such as Infrared (IR) signals, etc.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, computer 101includes a sensor 155, which is able to only receive electronic signals,including widely dispersed (non-directional) signals and/orline-of-sight signals (directional).

Note that the hardware elements depicted in computer 101 are notintended to be exhaustive, but rather are representative to highlightessential components required by the present invention. For instance,computer 101 may include alternate memory storage devices such asmagnetic cassettes, digital versatile disks (DVDs), Bernoullicartridges, and the like. These and other variations are intended to bewithin the spirit and scope of the present invention.

With reference now to FIGS. 2A-2B, an aerial camera drone 253 (analogousto one of the aerial camera drone(s) 153 shown in FIG. 1) that isunwanted within a field of view of a primary camera 251 (analogous toprimary camera 151 shown in FIG. 1). (FIG. 2A presents a 3-D perspectiveview, while FIG. 2B presents a side view of FIG. 2A.) In one or moreembodiments of the present invention, primary camera 151/251 is aterrestrial camera, which is mounted in a fixed position (e.g., on atripod) or in a movable position (e.g., is affixed to a crane, rollingon a track, etc.). In other embodiments of the present invention,primary camera 151/251 is one of the aerial camera drone(s) 153 shown inFIG. 1.

Assume that primary camera 251 captures a field of view 209. That is,the field of view 209 represents what is seen on a display (e.g.,display 109 in FIG. 1) on the primary camera 251 (assuming that theprimary camera 251 is a digital camera with an electronic viewingscreen), or through an optical viewfinder on the primary camera 251.That is, whatever appears in the field of view 209 is what will becaptured on film (if the primary camera 251 uses film) or on internalcircuitry (if the primary camera 251 is a digital camera that uses adigital image sensor such as a Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) or aComplementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) array).

As shown in FIGS. 2A-2B, the primary camera 251 is attempting to capturean image of a subject 202, such as mountain, a building, a distantperson, etc., which is within a three-dimensional (3D) physical space204. That is, the subject 202 occupies a position within the 3D physicalspace 204. However, within the field of view 209 is an aerial cameradrone 253, which even if not blocking the primary camera 251 from fullyseeing the subject 202, is still a distraction. Thus, the primary camera251, the aerial camera drone 253, and/or the controller 201 (which is inelectronic communication with the primary camera 251 and/or the aerialcamera drone 253) will direct the aerial camera drone 253 to exit the 3Dphysical space 204. In order to determine what space is occupied by 3Dphysical space 204, various sensors and settings are utilized.

For example, consider now the 3D space 304 (analogous to the 3D space204 shown in FIGS. 2A-2B), which due to limitations of depicting a 3Dspace on a 2D drawing depicts only two of the dimensions of the 3D space304. Nonetheless, it is understood that 3D space 304 is actually inthree-dimensions.

As shown in FIG. 3, 3D space 304 extends away from the primary camera251 within angle 301 and the vectors 303 a-303 b. That is, angle 301 andvectors 303 a-303 b define the 3D space 304 that is seen in the field ofview of the primary camera 251.

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the primary camera 251 is still focusedon subject 202. However, notice that the aerial camera drone 253 is nowfarther away from the primary camera 251 than the subject 202. If theaerial camera drone 253 is so far away from the primary camera 251 thatit is indistinguishable, if not invisible, then it can be ignored, eventhough it is still within the field of view of the primary camera 251.

Thus, as described herein, one or more embodiments of the presentinvention present a new and novel camera, such as primary camera 151/251described herein. In one or more embodiments of the present invention,the primary camera has a sensor (e.g., sensor 155 shown in FIG. 1) fordetecting a mobile airborne device (e.g., aerial camera drone(s) 153shown in FIG. 1) within a field of view (e.g., field of view 209 shownin FIGS. 2A-2B) of the primary camera. As described herein, athree-dimensional physical space (e.g., 3D physical space 204 shown inFIGS. 2A-2B) is within the field of view of the primary camera.

The sensor 155 may be a video sensor and/or an electronic sensor and/ora position sensor.

For example, in one embodiment of the present invention, the sensor 155is a camera (which may or may not be part of the main camera itself)that captures a video image of the aerial camera drone. Using imagerecognition software known to those skilled in the art of videoprocessing, the camera (or the controller 201 shown in FIGS. 2A-2B) isable to identify the aerial camera drone, either by type (i.e., simplydetermine that there is an aerial camera drone in the field of view ofthe primary camera) or specifically (i.e., identify which aerial cameradrone is in the field of view of the primary camera).

In one embodiment, the camera is trained to look for a simple shapeand/or color that are affixed to the aerial camera drone. That is,assume that a particular aerial camera drone has a large red diskaffixed to its exterior. This type of object is easy for the system torecognize, thus allowing the system (the primary camera 251, thecontroller 201, and/or other aerial camera drone(s) 153) to recognizethe presence of the aerial camera drone (and/or which aerial cameradrone is being observed).

The camera also has a signal generator (e.g., processor 103 in FIG. 1).The signal generator generates a signal that, when received by themobile airborne device, causes the mobile airborne device to exit thethree-dimensional physical space.

The camera also has a transmitter (e.g., transceiver 123 shown in FIG.1), which transmits the signal to the mobile airborne device to causethe mobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical spacethat is within the field of view of the primary camera.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the signal being transmittedto the aerial camera drone is a packet of instructions directing themobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space thatis within the field of view of the primary camera. For example, thesignal may be a packet of instructions that direct a navigation systemwithin the aerial camera drone to reposition itself to a particularposition (as determined by on-board GPS sensors, accelerometers, etc.within the aerial camera drone).

In one embodiment of the present invention, the signal is a data-lesssignal, such that the mobile airborne device exits the three-dimensionalphysical space in response to detecting the data-less signal. Forexample, assume that the primary camera 251 shown in FIGS. 2A-2B has atransceiver 123 that is able to transmit line-of-sight signals (e.g.,focused IR beams) away from the primary camera only into the 3D physicalspace that is constrained by the angle 301 and vectors 303 a-303 b shownin FIG. 3. Thus, if an aerial camera drone is within this 3D physicalspace, an on-board sensor (e.g., sensor 156) will detect the IR beam,thus alerting the aerial camera drone that it is within a “no-fly” zone,and needs to relocate itself. Once the aerial camera drone leaves thisno-fly zone, it no longer detects the IR beam, and can remain in astationary hover or fly into other areas outside of the no-fly zone.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the signal being sent fromthe primary camera and/or controller to the aerial camera drone is aposition range signal, which includes data that identifies thethree-dimensional physical space as a restricted area within which theaerial camera drone is prohibited from flying. For example, the signalmay include a range of coordinates along all three axes in a 3D system(i.e., a 3-tuple that includes longitude, latitude, and altitude valuesthat identify restricted areas). The aerial camera drone determines itscurrent location (3-tuple) and compares it with the array of restricted3-tuples. If there is a match, the aerial camera drone autonomouslymoves itself to a location that is not found in the 3-tuples sent fromthe primary camera 251 or the controller 201.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the primary camera includesan image recognition device, which identifies a predefined physicalfeature of the mobile airborne device (such as the red disk describedabove). The transmitter on the primary camera then transmits the signalto the mobile airborne device to cause the mobile airborne device toexit the three-dimensional physical space in response to the imagerecognition device identifying the predefined physical feature of themobile airborne device. That is, if the primary camera (and/or thecontroller 201) “sees” the red disk, then it will send the “in-shot”signal to the aerial camera drone, directing it to reposition itself outof the field of view of the primary camera.

From the perspective of the aerial camera drone (e.g., a mobile airbornedevice), the mobile airborne device includes a propulsion device (e.g.,motors and propellers, shown as nacelle 206 in FIGS. 2A-2B) that allowsthe mobile airborne device to fly. A navigation device (e.g., part ofGPS 153 and processor 103 shown in FIG. 1) identifies and controls acurrent physical location of the mobile airborne device within athree-dimensional physical space. That is, the navigation device 1)knows where the aerial camera drone is positioned in real time, and 2)can direct the propulsion device/system to move the aerial camera drone.Thus, when a signal receiver (e.g., transceiver 123 in FIG. 1) receivesa signal (which was generated by the primary camera in response to theprimary camera detecting the mobile airborne device within thethree-dimensional physical space that is within a field of view of theprimary camera) from a primary camera, then the signal causes thenavigation device to direct the propulsion device to fly the mobileairborne device out of the three-dimensional physical space that iswithin the field of view of the primary camera.

As described here, in one or more embodiments of the present invention,the mobile airborne device just described is a flying camera drone (alsoreferred to herein as an aerial camera drone) that has an on-boardcamera.

As described herein, in one or more embodiments of the present inventionthe signal receiver in the aerial camera drone is a data packetreceiver, such that the signal from the primary camera is a packet ofinstructions directing the navigation device to direct the propulsiondevice to fly the mobile airborne device out of the three-dimensionalphysical space that is within the field of view of the primary camera.

As described herein, in one or more embodiments of the present inventionthe sensor 155 on the aerial camera drone is a data-less signal detector(e.g., an IR detector that merely detects the presence of an IR signal,without extracting any data from the IR signal). Thus, the signal fromthe primary camera is a data-less signal (i.e., just electromagneticenergy without any embedded data), and the mobile airborne device exitsthe three-dimensional physical space in response to the data-less signaldetector detecting the data-less signal by directing the navigationdevice to direct the propulsion device to fly the mobile airborne deviceout of the three-dimensional physical space that is within the field ofview of the primary camera.

As described herein, in one or more embodiments the signal received bythe aerial camera drone 253 from the primary camera 251 and/or thecontroller 201 is a position range signal, which includes data thatidentifies the three-dimensional physical space as a restricted areawithin which the mobile airborne device is prohibited from flying. Thus,the mobile airborne device exits the three-dimensional physical space inresponse to the navigation device determining that the mobile airbornedevice is within the restricted area according to the position rangesignal.

With reference now to FIG. 4, a high-level flow chart of one or moresteps performed by one or more devices to remove one or more aerialcamera drones from a field of view of a primary camera is presented.

After initiator block 402, a sensor associated with a primary cameradetects a mobile airborne device within a field of view of the primarycamera, where a three-dimensional physical space is within the field ofview of the primary camera, as described in block 404. That is, thecontroller 201 and/or the primary camera 251 shown in FIGS. 2A-2B detectthe presence of the aerial camera drone 253 (an exemplary mobileairborne device) within the field of view of the primary camera.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, one or more sensors(e.g., one or more instances of the sensor 155 depicted in FIG. 1) onthe primary camera determine the field of view of the primary camera bydetermining the direction that the primary camera is pointing. Suchsensors may be in the form of strain gauges, accelerometers, 3-D axisgyroscopes, etc. Based on the readings from these sensors, adetermination can be made regarding what direction the primary camera ispointing, and thus a determination is made regarding the field of viewof the primary camera.

In one or more embodiments, not only is the direction of the primarycamera determined, but also the compression or expansion of the field ofview. For example, assume that the primary camera has a zoom lens.Sensors determine the amount of movement of the zoom lens (e.g., wherethe lens is moved forwards or backwards, thus altering the field ofview). Based on this movement, processors determine the range of thefield of view, in order to define the scope and size and location of the3D physical space in which the aerial camera drones are to be excluded,as described herein.

As described in block 406, a signal generator (e.g., processor 103 inFIG. 1) in the primary camera 251 and/or the controller 201 generates asignal that, when received by the mobile airborne device, causes themobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space, asdiscussed above.

As described in block 408, a transmitter (e.g., transceiver 123 inFIG. 1) in the primary camera 251 and/or controller 201 then transmitsthe generated signal to the mobile airborne device, thus causing themobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space thatis within the field of view of the primary camera.

The flow-chart ends at terminator block 410.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention and as describedherein, the signal from the primary camera 251 and/or controller 201 tothe aerial camera drone 153 is a packet of instructions directing themobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space thatis within the field of view of the primary camera.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention and as describedherein, the signal from the primary camera 251 and/or controller 201 tothe aerial camera drone 153 is a data-less signal, such that the mobileairborne device exits the three-dimensional physical space in responseto detecting the data-less signal.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention and as describedherein, the signal from the primary camera 251 and/or controller 201 tothe aerial camera drone 153 is a position range signal, which includesdata that identifies the three-dimensional physical space as arestricted area within which the mobile airborne device is prohibitedfrom flying.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention and as describedherein, an image recognition device (e.g., processor 103) associatedwith the primary camera 251 and/or controller 201 identifies predefinedphysical features of the mobile airborne device (e.g., the red diskdiscussed above). Thus, the transmitter in the primary camera 251 and/orcontroller 201 transmits the signal to the mobile airborne device tocause the mobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physicalspace in response to the image recognition device identifying thepredefined physical feature of the mobile airborne device.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a location device(e.g., GPS 153 shown in FIG. 3) within the mobile airborne device (e.g.,aerial camera drone 253) determines that that the mobile airborne deviceis at a distance from the primary camera such that an appearance of themobile airborne device within the field of view of the primary camerahas been predetermined to be smaller than a predetermined size. One ormore processors within the primary camera 251 and/or controller 201 thendetermine, based on the mobile airborne device's current position, thatthe appearance of the mobile airborne device within the field of view ofthe primary camera is smaller than the predetermined size. Based on thisdetermination (i.e., in response to determining that the appearance ofthe mobile airborne device within the field of view of the primarycamera is smaller than the predetermined size), then the signal to themobile airborne device is overridden, such that the mobile airbornedevice is no longer directed to exit the three-dimensional physicalspace.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the primary camera251 and/or controller 201 detect, based on signals from an orientationsensor within the primary camera, that the field of view of the primarycamera has changed to a new field of view due to movement of the primarycamera, such that a new three-dimensional physical space is within thenew field of view. In response to detecting that the field of view ofthe primary camera has changed, a signal generator (within the primarycamera 251 and/or controller 201) generates a new signal that, whenreceived by the mobile airborne device, causes the mobile airbornedevice to exit the new three-dimensional physical space. The transmitter(within the primary camera 251 and/or controller 201) then transmits thenew signal to the mobile airborne device to cause the mobile airbornedevice to exit the new three-dimensional physical space that is withinthe new field of view of the primary camera. Thus, the aerial cameradrone acts as a slave to the primary camera. Whenever the primary camerachanges its field of view, new signals are sent to the aerial cameradrone(s) letting them know if they are in the new 3D physical spacewithin the new field of view.

In one or more embodiments of the present invention, a transmitter inthe primary camera 251 and/or controller 201 repeatedly transmits thesignal instruction the drone(s) to leave the 3D physical space/area thatis within the primary camera's field of view, until all aerial cameradrones have left the 3D physical area. Once there are no more mobileairborne devices (aerial camera drones) in the 3D physical area then thesignal instructions are no longer transmitted (until the systemdetermines that new airborne devices have entered the 3D physical spacedescribed herein).

Note that in one embodiment, the drones (mobile airborne devices, aerialcamera drones, etc.) are autonomous, such that their movement iscontrolled, either directly or indirectly, by signals from the primarycamera 251 and/or controller 201. However, even if a person is flyingthe drones, the present system can still override that person's flightinputs, such that the person is unable to fly into the restrictedairspace, by transmitting the control signals described herein to thedrones.

In one or more embodiments, the present invention is implemented in acloud environment. It is understood in advance that although thisdisclosure includes a detailed description on cloud computing,implementation of the teachings recited herein are not limited to acloud computing environment. Rather, embodiments of the presentinvention are capable of being implemented in conjunction with any othertype of computing environment now known or later developed.

Cloud computing is a model of service delivery for enabling convenient,on-demand network access to a shared pool of configurable computingresources (e.g. networks, network bandwidth, servers, processing,memory, storage, applications, virtual machines, and services) that canbe rapidly provisioned and released with minimal management effort orinteraction with a provider of the service. This cloud model may includeat least five characteristics, at least three service models, and atleast four deployment models.

Characteristics are as follows:

On-demand self-service: a cloud consumer can unilaterally provisioncomputing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, asneeded automatically without requiring human interaction with theservice's provider.

Broad network access: capabilities are available over a network andaccessed through standard mechanisms that promote use by heterogeneousthin or thick client platforms (e.g., mobile phones, laptops, and PDAs).

Resource pooling: the provider's computing resources are pooled to servemultiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physicaland virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according todemand. There is a sense of location independence in that the consumergenerally has no control or knowledge over the exact location of theprovided resources but may be able to specify location at a higher levelof abstraction (e.g., country, state, or datacenter).

Rapid elasticity: capabilities can be rapidly and elasticallyprovisioned, in some cases automatically, to quickly scale out andrapidly released to quickly scale in. To the consumer, the capabilitiesavailable for provisioning often appear to be unlimited and can bepurchased in any quantity at any time.

Measured service: cloud systems automatically control and optimizeresource use by leveraging a metering capability at some level ofabstraction appropriate to the type of service (e.g., storage,processing, bandwidth, and active user accounts). Resource usage can bemonitored, controlled, and reported providing transparency for both theprovider and consumer of the utilized service.

Service Models are as follows:

Software as a Service (SaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto use the provider's applications running on a cloud infrastructure.The applications are accessible from various client devices through athin client interface such as a web browser (e.g., web-based e-mail).The consumer does not manage or control the underlying cloudinfrastructure including network, servers, operating systems, storage,or even individual application capabilities, with the possible exceptionof limited user-specific application configuration settings.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): the capability provided to the consumer isto deploy onto the cloud infrastructure consumer-created or acquiredapplications created using programming languages and tools supported bythe provider. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure including networks, servers, operating systems, orstorage, but has control over the deployed applications and possiblyapplication hosting environment configurations.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): the capability provided to theconsumer is to provision processing, storage, networks, and otherfundamental computing resources where the consumer is able to deploy andrun arbitrary software, which can include operating systems andapplications. The consumer does not manage or control the underlyingcloud infrastructure but has control over operating systems, storage,deployed applications, and possibly limited control of select networkingcomponents (e.g., host firewalls).

Deployment Models are as follows:

Private cloud: the cloud infrastructure is operated solely for anorganization. It may be managed by the organization or a third party andmay exist on-premises or off-premises.

Community cloud: the cloud infrastructure is shared by severalorganizations and supports a specific community that has shared concerns(e.g., mission, security requirements, policy, and complianceconsiderations). It may be managed by the organizations or a third partyand may exist on-premises or off-premises.

Public cloud: the cloud infrastructure is made available to the generalpublic or a large industry group and is owned by an organization sellingcloud services.

Hybrid cloud: the cloud infrastructure is a composition of two or moreclouds (private, community, or public) that remain unique entities butare bound together by standardized or proprietary technology thatenables data and application portability (e.g., cloud bursting forload-balancing between clouds).

A cloud computing environment is service oriented with a focus onstatelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability.At the heart of cloud computing is an infrastructure comprising anetwork of interconnected nodes.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a schematic of an example of a cloud computingnode is shown. Cloud computing node 10 is only one example of a suitablecloud computing node and is not intended to suggest any limitation as tothe scope of use or functionality of embodiments of the inventiondescribed herein. Regardless, cloud computing node 10 is capable ofbeing implemented and/or performing any of the functionality set forthhereinabove.

In cloud computing node 10 there is a computer system/server 12, whichis operational with numerous other general purpose or special purposecomputing system environments or configurations. Examples of well-knowncomputing systems, environments, and/or configurations that may besuitable for use with computer system/server 12 include, but are notlimited to, personal computer systems, server computer systems, thinclients, thick clients, hand-held or laptop devices, multiprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based systems, set top boxes, programmableconsumer electronics, network PCs, minicomputer systems, mainframecomputer systems, and distributed cloud computing environments thatinclude any of the above systems or devices, and the like.

Computer system/server 12 may be described in the general context ofcomputer system-executable instructions, such as program modules, beingexecuted by a computer system. Generally, program modules may includeroutines, programs, objects, components, logic, data structures, and soon that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract datatypes. Computer system/server 12 may be practiced in distributed cloudcomputing environments where tasks are performed by remote processingdevices that are linked through a communications network. In adistributed cloud computing environment, program modules may be locatedin both local and remote computer system storage media including memorystorage devices.

As shown in FIG. 5, computer system/server 12 in cloud computing node 10is shown in the form of a general-purpose computing device. Thecomponents of computer system/server 12 may include, but are not limitedto, one or more processors or processing units 16, a system memory 28,and a bus 18 that couples various system components including systemmemory 28 to processor 16.

Bus 18 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures,including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, anaccelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of avariety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation,such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus,Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, VideoElectronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and PeripheralComponent Interconnects (PCI) bus.

Computer system/server 12 typically includes a variety of computersystem readable media. Such media may be any available media that isaccessible by computer system/server 12, and it includes both volatileand non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media.

System memory 28 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random access memory (RAM) 30 and/or cachememory 32. Computer system/server 12 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 34 can be provided forreading from and writing to a non-removable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 18 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 40, having a set (at least one) of program modules 42,may be stored in memory 28 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 42 generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein.

Computer system/server 12 may also communicate with one or more externaldevices 14 such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display 24, etc.;one or more devices that enable a user to interact with computersystem/server 12; and/or any devices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.)that enable computer system/server 12 to communicate with one or moreother computing devices. Such communication can occur via Input/Output(I/O) interfaces 22. Still yet, computer system/server 12 cancommunicate with one or more networks such as a local area network(LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or a public network (e.g.,the Internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted, network adapter 20communicates with the other components of computer system/server 12 viabus 18. It should be understood that although not shown, other hardwareand/or software components could be used in conjunction with computersystem/server 12. Examples, include, but are not limited to: microcode,device drivers, redundant processing units, external disk drive arrays,RAID systems, tape drives, and data archival storage systems, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 6, illustrative cloud computing environment 50 isdepicted. As shown, cloud computing environment 50 comprises one or morecloud computing nodes 10 with which local computing devices used bycloud consumers, such as, for example, personal digital assistant (PDA)or cellular telephone 54A, desktop computer 54B, laptop computer 54C,and/or automobile computer system 54N may communicate. Nodes 10 maycommunicate with one another. They may be grouped (not shown) physicallyor virtually, in one or more networks, such as Private, Community,Public, or Hybrid clouds as described hereinabove, or a combinationthereof. This allows cloud computing environment 50 to offerinfrastructure, platforms and/or software as services for which a cloudconsumer does not need to maintain resources on a local computingdevice. It is understood that the types of computing devices 54A-N shownin FIG. 6 are intended to be illustrative only and that computing nodes10 and cloud computing environment 50 can communicate with any type ofcomputerized device over any type of network and/or network addressableconnection (e.g., using a web browser).

Referring now to FIG. 7, a set of functional abstraction layers providedby cloud computing environment 50 (FIG. 6) is shown. It should beunderstood in advance that the components, layers, and functions shownin FIG. 7 are intended to be illustrative only and embodiments of theinvention are not limited thereto. As depicted, the following layers andcorresponding functions are provided:

Hardware and software layer 60 includes hardware and softwarecomponents. Examples of hardware components include: mainframes 61; RISC(Reduced Instruction Set Computer) architecture based servers 62;servers 63; blade servers 64; storage devices 65; and networks andnetworking components 66. In some embodiments, software componentsinclude network application server software 67 and database software 68.

Virtualization layer 70 provides an abstraction layer from which thefollowing examples of virtual entities may be provided: virtual servers71; virtual storage 72; virtual networks 73, including virtual privatenetworks; virtual applications and operating systems 74; and virtualclients 75.

In one example, management layer 80 may provide the functions describedbelow. Resource provisioning 81 provides dynamic procurement ofcomputing resources and other resources that are utilized to performtasks within the cloud computing environment. Metering and Pricing 82provide cost tracking as resources are utilized within the cloudcomputing environment, and billing or invoicing for consumption of theseresources. In one example, these resources may comprise applicationsoftware licenses. Security provides identity verification for cloudconsumers and tasks, as well as protection for data and other resources.User portal 83 provides access to the cloud computing environment forconsumers and system administrators. Service level management 84provides cloud computing resource allocation and management such thatrequired service levels are met. Service Level Agreement (SLA) planningand fulfillment 85 provide pre-arrangement for, and procurement of,cloud computing resources for which a future requirement is anticipatedin accordance with an SLA.

Workloads layer 90 provides examples of functionality for which thecloud computing environment may be utilized. Examples of workloads andfunctions which may be provided from this layer include: mapping andnavigation 91; software development and lifecycle management 92; virtualclassroom education delivery 93; data analytics processing 94;transaction processing 95; and camera drone positioning processing 96(for controlling the position of flying camera drones as describedherein).

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the presentinvention. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” areintended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearlyindicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms“comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification,specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations,elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence oraddition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations,elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of various embodiments of the present invention has beenpresented for purposes of illustration and description, but is notintended to be exhaustive or limited to the present invention in theform disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope andspirit of the present invention. The embodiment was chosen and describedin order to best explain the principles of the present invention and thepractical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the artto understand the present invention for various embodiments with variousmodifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.

Any methods described in the present disclosure may be implementedthrough the use of a VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) programand a VHDL chip. VHDL is an exemplary design-entry language for FieldProgrammable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), Application Specific IntegratedCircuits (ASICs), and other similar electronic devices. Thus, anysoftware-implemented method described herein may be emulated by ahardware-based VHDL program, which is then applied to a VHDL chip, suchas a FPGA.

Having thus described embodiments of the present invention of thepresent application in detail and by reference to illustrativeembodiments thereof, it will be apparent that modifications andvariations are possible without departing from the scope of the presentinvention defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A camera comprising: a sensor for detecting amobile airborne device within a field of view of the camera, wherein thecamera is a primary camera, wherein a three-dimensional physical spaceis within the field of view of the primary camera; a signal generator,wherein the signal generator generates a signal that, when received bythe mobile airborne device, causes the mobile airborne device to exitthe three-dimensional physical space; a transmitter, wherein thetransmitter transmits the signal to the mobile airborne device to causethe mobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical spacethat is within the field of view of the primary camera; a locationdevice, wherein the location device detects that the mobile airbornedevice is at a distance from the primary camera such that an appearanceof the mobile airborne device within the field of view of the primarycamera has been predetermined to be smaller than a predetermined size;and one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors determinethat the appearance of the mobile airborne device within the field ofview of the primary camera is smaller than the predetermined size, andin response to determining that the appearance of the mobile airbornedevice within the field of view of the primary camera is smaller thanthe predetermined size, override the signal to the mobile airbornedevice such that the mobile airborne device is no longer directed toexit the three-dimensional physical space.
 2. The camera of claim 1,wherein the signal is a packet of instructions directing the mobileairborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space that iswithin the field of view of the primary camera.
 3. The camera of claim1, wherein the signal is a data-less signal, wherein the mobile airbornedevice exits the three-dimensional physical space in response todetecting the data-less signal.
 4. The camera of claim 1, wherein thesignal is a position range signal, wherein the position range signalincludes data that identifies the three-dimensional physical space as arestricted area within which the mobile airborne signal is prohibitedfrom flying.
 5. The camera of claim 1, further comprising: an imagerecognition device, wherein the image recognition device identifies apredefined physical feature of the mobile airborne device, and whereinthe transmitter transmits the signal to the mobile airborne device tocause the mobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physicalspace in response to the image recognition device identifying thepredefined physical feature of the mobile airborne device.
 6. A mobileairborne device comprising: a propulsion device that flies the mobileairborne device; a navigation device that identifies and controls acurrent physical location of the mobile airborne device within athree-dimensional physical space; a signal receiver, wherein the signalreceiver receives a signal from a primary camera, wherein the signalfrom the primary camera is generated by the primary camera in responseto the primary camera detecting the mobile airborne device within thethree-dimensional physical space that is within a field of view of theprimary camera, and wherein the signal causes the navigation device todirect the propulsion device to fly the mobile airborne device out ofthe three-dimensional physical space that is within the field of view ofthe primary camera; a location device, wherein the location devicedetects that the mobile airborne device is at a distance from theprimary camera such that an appearance of the mobile airborne devicewithin the field of view of the primary camera has been predetermined tobe smaller than a predetermined size; and one or more processors,wherein the one or more processors determine that the appearance of themobile airborne device within the field of view of the primary camera issmaller than the predetermined size, and in response to determining thatthe appearance of the mobile airborne device within the field of view ofthe primary camera is smaller than the predetermined size, override thesignal to the mobile airborne device such that the mobile airbornedevice is no longer directed to exit the three-dimensional physicalspace.
 7. The mobile airborne device of claim 6, wherein the mobileairborne device is a flying camera drone, and wherein the mobileairborne device further comprises: an on-board camera.
 8. The mobileairborne device of claim 6, wherein the signal receiver is a data packetreceiver, and wherein the signal from the primary camera is a packet ofinstructions directing the navigation device to direct the propulsiondevice to fly the mobile airborne device out of the three-dimensionalphysical space that is within the field of view of the primary camera.9. The mobile airborne device of claim 6, further comprising: adata-less signal detector, wherein the signal from the primary camera isa data-less signal, and wherein the mobile airborne device exits thethree-dimensional physical space in response to the data-less signaldetector detecting the data-less signal by directing the navigationdevice to direct the propulsion device to fly the mobile airborne deviceout of the three-dimensional physical space that is within the field ofview of the primary camera.
 10. The mobile airborne device of claim 6,wherein the signal is a position range signal, wherein the positionrange signal includes data that identifies the three-dimensionalphysical space as a restricted area within which the mobile airbornedevice is prohibited from flying, and wherein the mobile airborne deviceexits the three-dimensional physical space in response to the navigationdevice determining that the mobile airborne device is within therestricted area according to the position range signal.
 11. The mobileairborne device of claim 6, further comprising: a predefined-shapedobject affixed to an exterior of the mobile airborne device, wherein thepredefined-shaped object is recognizable by the primary camera toidentify the mobile airborne device.
 12. A method of removing a mobileairborne device from a field of view of a primary camera, the methodcomprising: detecting, by a sensor associated with a primary camera, amobile airborne device within a field of view of the primary camera,wherein a three-dimensional physical space is within the field of viewof the primary camera; generating, by a signal generator, a signal that,when received by the mobile airborne device, causes the mobile airbornedevice to exit the three-dimensional physical space; transmitting, by atransmitter, the signal to the mobile airborne device to cause themobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space thatis within the field of view of the primary camera; detecting, by alocation device, that the mobile airborne device is at a distance fromthe primary camera such that an appearance of the mobile airborne devicewithin the field of view of the primary camera has been predetermined tobe smaller than a predetermined size; determining, by one or moreprocessors, that the appearance of the mobile airborne device within thefield of view of the primary camera is smaller than the predeterminedsize; and in response to determining that the appearance of the mobileairborne device within the field of view of the primary camera issmaller than the predetermined size, overriding the signal to the mobileairborne device such that the mobile airborne device is no longerdirected to exit the three-dimensional physical space.
 13. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the signal is a packet of instructions directing themobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space thatis within the field of view of the primary camera.
 14. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the signal is a data-less signal, wherein the mobileairborne device exits the three-dimensional physical space in responseto detecting the data-less signal.
 15. The method of claim 12, whereinthe signal is a position range signal, wherein the position range signalincludes data that identifies the three-dimensional physical space as arestricted area within which the mobile airborne signal is prohibitedfrom flying.
 16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:identifying, by an image recognition device, a predefined physicalfeature of the mobile airborne device, and wherein the transmittertransmits the signal to the mobile airborne device to cause the mobileairborne device to exit the three-dimensional physical space in responseto the image recognition device identifying the predefined physicalfeature of the mobile airborne device.
 17. The method of claim 12,further comprising: detecting, by one or more processors and based onsignals from an orientation sensor within the primary camera, that thefield of view of the primary camera has changed to a new field of viewdue to movement of the primary camera, wherein a new three-dimensionalphysical space is within the new field of view; in response to detectingthat the field of view of the primary camera has changed, generating, bythe signal generator, a new signal that, when received by the mobileairborne device, causes the mobile airborne device to exit the newthree-dimensional physical space; and transmitting, by the transmitter,the new signal to the mobile airborne device to cause the mobileairborne device to exit the new three-dimensional physical space that iswithin the new field of view of the primary camera.
 18. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising: repeatedly transmitting, by thetransmitter, the signal to a plurality of mobile airborne devices untilnone of the plurality of mobile airborne devices is within the field ofview of the primary camera.
 19. The method of claim 12, wherein aspecifically colored and shaped marking is affixed to the mobileairborne device, and wherein the method further comprises: detecting, bythe primary camera, the specifically colored and shaped marking that isaffixed to the mobile airborne device; in response to detecting thespecifically colored and shaped marking that is affixed to the mobileairborne device, transmitting the signal to the mobile airborne devicethat causes the mobile airborne device to exit the three-dimensionalphysical that is within the field of view of the primary camera to themobile airborne device that has the specifically colored and shapedmarking.